Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the track & intensity of the incoming weather system.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Moderate to strong southerly winds. 5-10cm possible overnight. Locally heavy accumulations are possible near Revelstoke and southern areas, with up to 20cm possible overnight. 

MONDAY: Up to 5-15cm of snow, tapering off in the afternoon. Alpine high of -10 with light southwest winds.

TUESDAY: Chance of flurries with light southeast winds. Alpine high of -15. 

WEDNESDAY: Clearing skies, isolated flurries. Light southwest winds. Alpine high of -15. 

Slabs in wind loaded features continue to be reactive to human triggers, producing avalanches up to size 2, on all aspects from the recent variable winds. As snowfall accumulates on top of these slabs they will be harder to identify. 

Cornice falls have triggered numerous slabs this week, as they land on the slopes below. Navigate around cornices carefully (both on ridgelines and on the slopes below them with care - they are able to effect deeply buried weak layers. 

Several large and destructive persistent slab avalanches have been naturally and skier triggered in the over the last week up to size 3, failing on the early December crust/facet interface. Each had wide propagation and ran several hundred metres. The avalanches were all triggered in a rocky and thin area. This layer is still extremely concerning and will likely be for most of the season.

We'd appreciate if you submit your observations to the Mountain Information Network, even just a photo.

Storm snow with strong south-southwest winds continue to form new slabs with deeper deposits on north and east facing slopes. This load will be deposited on weak and wind effected surfaces - expect a poor bond and reactive conditions. 

A layer of weak surface hoar crystals can be found 30-50cm deep in sheltered terrain features at alpine and treeline elevations, and in open features like cut blocks below treeline. Although avalanche activity hasn't been prominent on this layer, it has been reactive in snowpack tests.

The crust formed by the early December rain event sits 100-150cm deep and is found up to 2200m in the North Columbia's. Weak and faceted grains sit above, creating a weak interface that is still reactive to human triggers. This layer is most reactive at treeline, and in areas where the snowpack thins and the weak interface is much closer to the surface. This layer has the potential to produce large and destructive avalanches if triggered. Recent activity in the North Columbia's has been limited to explosive triggers - however the southern Selkirks have seen significant skier triggered activity on this layer to size 3.5.

• Storm snow and wind is forming touchy slabs. Use caution in lee areas in the alpine and treeline.
• Approach steep open slopes at and below treeline cautiously, buried surface hoar may exist.
• As the storm slab problem gets trickier, the easy solution is to choose more conservative terrain.
• Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.